


"I think Daddy likes you."

by HoransPayne



Series: NiamNetwork Themes [7]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 18:31:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8764303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoransPayne/pseuds/HoransPayne
Summary: "Daddy said he tinks you're very handsome, Mr Payne.""Is that right, Declan?" The little boy simply beamed back at Liam as he nodded quickly. "Yeah! He seen you in the playground when he pick me up last week." "Well, Declan, your Daddy's not so bad himself." Liam winked at Mr Horan when he looked up in surprise at this comment"I tink Daddy likes you, Mr Payne!" He turned his gaze towards his father again. "Don't you, Daddy?"





	

**Author's Note:**

> Btw, to avoid confusion, for non-English people (idk if it's the same in all of Britain), reception is the year you're in when you're 4/5. It's the first year of proper school after preschool/nursery, followed by year 1, year 2, etc.

Liam hated parents evening, especially the first one of the year. He’d been a teacher for just over three years now, and it quickly became something he dreaded. He just found it extremely dull saying pretty much the same thing to thirty sets of parents, when he could’ve been at home doing something that actually interested him. Liam absolutely adored the little four and five year olds he got to teach as a reception teacher, but there inevitably were a few little shits that made things difficult. Liam hated meeting their parents. 

There had been many a time where the parents acted completely surprised as Liam described their devil spawn’s hellish ways, whilst said child would stare innocently back at him like butter wouldn’t melt. Many of these parents would get angry at Liam, because somehow it was all his fault that their little angel behaved so badly in school. 

Liam had just had a meeting that went just like that. A very red-faced large men had spent the best of ten minutes giving Liam a piece of mind, and Liam resisting the urge to wipe the spit off his face that seemed to be flying from the man’s mouth. Apparently Liam was the reason his little boy had chopped off a little girl’s pigtails, and then received a prompt slap from the girl. The little boy was sat beside his dad, doing his best impression of a kicked puppy; bottom lip stuck out, hands in his lap, head faced downward. Liam knew it was an act, he knew the boy well enough by now.

Those fifteen minutes each parents were allocated couldn’t go fast enough for Liam, and he was so grateful when they were finally up. He ushered the man and his child out the room as quickly as he could. He gave the sheet with the list of children’s names on it, and sighed with relief after noticing this was his last appointment.  
“Declan Horan.” He called out into the corridor. He smiled as the little brown haired boy jumped up from his chair and practically skipped towards the classroom. Liam had a big soft spot for the Horan boy, and, though he knew it was wrong, if he had to pick a favourite, Declan would be it. Liam turned to lead the little boy into the classroom towards his desk. 

"Can I sit in this one, Mr Payne?" Liam always felt the urge to coo whenever Declan spoke, his little Irish accent was just so cute. Declan had only moved to England from Ireland in August, and it was now December, so he hadn't lost his accent at all. 

"Of course you can." He smiled at the boy, and Declan mirrored this. Liam had barely noticed the other man follow them into the room, the mixed thoughts of excitement that the evening was almost over, warmness over Declan and nerves from the last meeting had all clouded his mind so his attention wasn't fully in the room. It definitely was when he laid eyes upon who he could only assume was Declan's father. He was a tall, slender man with bottle blond hair, and shining blue eyes that were a spitting image of the little boy that he was sat beside. Liam found himself fixed upon the man, only snapping out of it when a little voice spoke up. 

"Mr Payne." Being only four, it sounded more as though Declan was saying 'Mih Payne'. Liam quickly averted his attention to the little boy, afraid he may be caught staring. "This is my daddy." He proudly pointed to the man next to him, who was smiling fondly at his son. He diverted his gaze towards Liam and smiled towards him. 

"Nice to finally meet you Mr Payne." He reached his hand towards Liam across the desk, and Liam leant forward to shake it. 

"And the same to you Mr Horan." Liam didn't miss the largeness of the man's hand, and was surprised at the softness of his outer palm. 

"Daddy said he tinks you're very handsome, Mr Payne." The smile suddenly wiped off Declan's father's face, and Liam was reminded of how when you write something in the sand at a beach, and the waves wash away all existence of it. It was replaced with a frown, and Liam watched his neck and face turn a deep red in colour. Liam felt a warmth growing in the pit of his stomach as he realised exactly where Declan got his cuteness from. Liam laughed softly, as Mr Horan tried to hide his embarrassment with a cough. 

"Is that right, Declan?" The little boy simply beamed back at Liam as he nodded quickly. 

"Yeah! He seen you in the playground when he pick me up last week." The boy looked over to his father, and sensed his discomfort. "What wrong, Daddy?" 

"Nothing, Deccy." He shook his head solemnly, seemingly deeming it useless to pretend as though his son was making it up. 

"Well, Declan, your Daddy's not so bad himself." Liam winked at Mr Horan when he looked up in surprise at this comment. Declan could only giggle, his face turning just as red as his dad's, but for very different reasons. Mr Horan gave him a small smile and Liam returned it with an even bigger one. 

"I tink Daddy likes you, Mr Payne!" He turned his gaze towards his father again. "Don't you, Daddy?"

"Shhh, Declan. We're not here to talk about that, we're here to talk about how you're doing in school." His son frowned at the forced change of subject, and pouted a little in his seat. Liam, once again, felt a huge urge to coo at him. 

"Well, Mr Horan-"

"Niall." Liam was cut off by the other man. "Sorry to interrupt, I just hate being called Mr Horan." Liam smiled. 

"No worries, Niall." He said the name quite slowly the first time, wanting to really feel the way his mouth moved as he did, hear how it rolled off his tongue. "Well, Niall, Declan's been doing really well. He seems to be making friends easily; the other children seem to absolutely adore his accent. He works very hard in lessons, and he always does everything I tell him to do." Niall laughed slightly. 

"You won't do that for me at home though, buddy?" He teased. Declan pouted once more. 

"I do everyting for Mr Payne." He said it plain and simple, as if it were obvious. Liam smiled at this comment. 

"You really do, Dec. I couldn't really find any faults with your son, if I'm totally honest, Niall. He sometimes loses concentration quickly, but it's not been a huge problem. He also seems to struggle quite a bit with his reading." Niall frowned at that. 

"Yeah, he refuses to practice with me. Says only you can ready with him." Liam laughed at that. 

"Why can you only read with me, Dec?" The boy shrugged. 

"'Cause I only read wit you." He replied, matter of factly. 

"Well, reading is definitely something that needs practicing. I don't mind offering extra help after school if need be." Liam suggested. 

"Mmm, that could work. But I wouldn't want you to go out of your way." Niall seemed a little sceptical. 

"I don't mind at all." Liam really felt as if he would do anything for all the children in his class, and Declan wasn't the first child he'd offered the extra help to. For some unknown reason, he didn't want to tell that to Niall. 

"I suppose we could sort something out, then." 

 

\---

 

Liam began giving weekly reading help to Declan every Wednesday after school for an hour, and there was a definite noticeable improvement. Of course, making a child read solidly for an hour when they found it so demanding would've been a little cruel of Liam, so they would only read for a few short bursts at a time. The rest of the time was spent just talking to Declan. In a few weeks Liam had learnt that Declan's favourite colour was green (he was Irish after all), his favourite food was potato smiley faces (because it made him happy that his food was happy) and his favourite football team was Derby County (same as his dad's). Liam also learnt that Declan loved to talk about his dad. He learnt that Niall was a single father, lived in Ireland all his life, and worked as a dentist. They moved from Ireland after Declan's mother died, because Niall had wanted a fresh start for him and his son. 

Declan also loved to tell Liam about the huge crush his dad apparently had on Liam. Liam sometimes thought Declan was taking it upon himself to be his father's wingman, trying to persuade him to ask him out. 

Those types of conversations usually ended with Niall's arrival, and Declan would pretend the conversation had never happened. 

After a month of these sessions, Niall requested for Liam to give him some feedback on how his son was getting on. He'd asked Declan to wait in the corridor whilst he waited, probably hoping to not repeat what had happened at parent's evening. 

"How's he getting on?" Niall began. 

"Much, much better." Liam nodded. 

"He absolutely adores you, you know." Not wanting to blow his own trumpet, Liam only smiled at this. "He talks about you nonstop at home. Tells me everything he can about you." Both men laughed at this. 

"He does the same to me with you." Niall shook his head. 

"I doubt it's anywhere near as much as he talks about you at home." 

"He actually asked me to move in with you two today." Liam laughed. Niall responded with a smile, and a slight roll of his eyes. 

"I'm sure he'd love that." 

"I think he quite likes the idea of you and me together." Niall choked a little. "Always trying to get me to ask you out." Liam saw the other man's face turn the same colour it had a month ago. 

"Oh, he does? I'm sorry about that. I mean, that must be annoying. You probably have a girlfriend - or b-boyfriend - anyway?" Niall stammered out, phrasing the last part almost as a question. Liam simply shook his head. 

"Nope." He popped the 'p', and took a small step towards Niall. 

"Oh, well, I'm sorry either way, Mr -uh- P-Payne." Niall gulped, definitely noticing the way Liam had stepped towards him. 

"You can call me Liam, Niall." He dared to take another step forward, watching the other man for his reaction.

"Oh okay, er, Liam."

"Can I tell you something, Niall?" The other man slowly nodded. "I'd do anything for your son. I mean, granted I'd do anything for any of the kids in my class, but there's something special about your son, Niall. I just have this urge to do anything I can that would make him happy, and-" He took one final step towards Niall, so there was just over half an inch between them. He could feel Niall's breath on him, and wondered if his heart was beating as fast as his own. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to say. "-if that means asking out his father, well, then I'd gladly do so." Niall looked puzzled. 

"What?" 

"I said-"

"No I heard you loud and clear. I'm just confused is all."

"What about?" Liam suddenly had a sinking feeling. 'Oh God, what an idiot. He's going to reject me, and maybe request for Declan to move classes, now. I bet he's not even gay!' Liam was silently kicking himself. 

"I just - are you asking me out?"

"Um, yeah." 

"Oh, okay." Niall nodded. 

"So, um, is that a no or?"

"No, no, no! Of course not!" Liam held back the grin that wanted to appear at Niall's franticness. "I'm just surprised."

"So-" 

"Daddy, come on!" Liam was interrupted by Declan bursting through the door of the classroom. "I'm bored!" 

"Oh, um, sorry Deccy. Come on then." Liam's heart sank as he watched the Irishman be pulled out the door by his son yelling out goodbye to him. He felt a little numb as he walked back over to his desk and flopped down into his chair. 

"Daddy!" Liam looked up as he heard Declan shout from down the corridor, before seeing the door to his classroom burst back open and Niall appearing through the doorway. He strode over to where Liam was sat, handed him a slip of paper, placing a soft kiss on the other man's cheek as he did so. Liam didn't miss Declan's squeal of delight as he saw this whilst being dragged out the room by Niall, before glancing down to read the paper. Written on it in scrawled writing were a phone number, and one other word:

"Yes."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. This was posted for theme 7 of the NiamNetwork: Dad!Niam. I hope you enjoyed it, though it was a little rushed. Also, apologies for any typos, I had to write this on my phone because my laptop's been playing up. Let me know of any mistakes so I can make amends.
> 
> Thanks again for reading, make sure you check out the NiamNetwork on Tumblr, for fics much better than my own, some cool artwork, edits, gifs and all things Niam. :)


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